Fowler powers West All-Stars to victory before record crowd
Box Score │ East All-Stars Roster │ West All-Stars Roster
Visit the 2007 All-Star Game photo galleries: Jeff Lautenberger │ Brenda Dunham
Monday, July 23
Aberdeen, Maryland -- With a league-record 2.406 fans on hand and many more watching on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, the West All-Stars provided much of the fireworks in the third annual Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, Monday night at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. The West All-Stars offense put up four runs in the second inning and their pitching staff combined to blank the East All-Stars, 6-0.
After a quiet first inning in which East starter Matt Zoltak (Orioles/Clemson) worked around a hit batsman to get out of the inning and West starter Keith Moreland (Big Train/UNC-Charlotte) set down the side in order, the West jumped on Jim Britton (Bombers/St. Bonaventure) in the second inning. After striking out the first batter he faced, Britton gave up a long single to leftfield off the bat of catcher Chance Harst (Big Trian/LA-Lafayette), hit shortstop Pete Fatse (Express/Connecticut) with a pitch, and allowed a single to Paul-Michael Klingsberg (Express/Pepperdine) to load the bases. They didn’t stay loaded for long, however, as Joe Fowler (Thunderbolts/UMBC) cleared them with a double to deep left-centerfield. Second baseman Bert Smith (Big Train/Jacksonville State) then bunted his way aboard and moved Fowler to third. Fowler scored on the next play, a sacrifice fly to centerfield off the bat of outfielder Eric Allen (Express/Delaware State). When Jon Karcich (Big Train/Santa Clara) followed with a single and Andrew Foster (Big Train/Bowling Green) walked, East manager Dean Albany went to the bullpen to get Scott Swinson (Orioles/Maryland). Swinson struck out Jarrett Parker (Braves/Virginia) to get out of the inning.
West reliever Brian Anderson (Big Train/San Francisco) came right back with a statement in the bottom half of the second, striking out the side in order.
The West got another run in the fifth inning when Express teammates Fatse and Klingsberg hit back-to-back doubles. Their sixth run came in eighth when Smith reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and induced a throwing error on the pitcher when he took off for third early. Smith trotted home when the throw got away from the third baseman.
The East All-Stars got hits from Orioles Chris Jackson (VCU), LJ Hoes (St. John’s CHS), Alex Buchholz (Delaware), and Steven Bumbry (Virginia Tech), a double from catcher Matt Parker (Redbirds/San Diego State), and a single from leftfielder Jeremy Jakubowski (Bombers/St. Joseph’s). None of the hits turned to runs, however, as the East All-Stars stranded 10 runners on base.
Phillip Urso (Express/Claremont), Matt Hiserman (Big Train/Santa Clara), and Mitch Herold (Big Train/Central Florida) each struck out two batters in their appearances out of the bullpen for the West, and the West pitchers only allowed one walk on the combined shutout.
Anderson got credit with the win for striking out the side in the second inning. Fowler earned D-Bat Most Valuable Player honors for his bases-clearing double.
Johnny Holliday and Dave Johnson called the action for MASN… The game was sponsored by Mile One Automotive… each fan received a commemorative “Big Game” poster featuring All-Stars Chris Jackson, Matt Parker, and Phillip Urso on their way into the ballpark… Bill Ripken was on hand to greet each All-Star at home plate as they were introduced…The game was made possible by the generous support of Peter Angelos and the Angelos Family and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
Earlier in the day, Steve Domecus (Express/UC-Santa Barbara) hit a home run in the championship round to win the second annual Home Run Derby. Domecus beat out Joe Fowler and Quinn Ewert (Big Train/Illinois State) to win the Derby. Fowler had the most home runs in the opening round (3). AJ Casario (Bombers/Maryland), Rob Pietroforte (Redbirds/Johns Hopkins), Steve Bumbry (Orioles/Virginia Tech), and Chris Johnson (Braves/James Madison) also competed in the Home Run Derby. The Derby was broadcast live over the web and at the ballpark by the Bombers Radio Network.
We’d like to extend special thanks to Bill Spencer, Bob Douglas, Alan Rifkin, Alex Thompson, and Anna Phelan of the Ripken, Sr. League; Chris Glass, Lori Mancini, Johnny Holliday, and Dave Johnson of MASN; and Amy Venuto, Blake Chronister, and Jason Vaughan of the Aberdeen Ironbirds. Most importantly, we’d like to thank the generosity of Peter Angelos and the Angelos Family; Steve Fader, Brian Williams and game-sponsor Mile One Automotive; and Cal and Bill Ripken. Without the support, financial contributions, and hard work of our sponsors and volunteers, the All-Star Game could not have had the success that it did. And, of course, thanks to the Ripken, Sr. League’s Boys of Summer for providing such an entertaining contest on the field.
